Those Lost and Redeemed
by whateversclever
Summary: Revan and the Exile team up to take on a new enemy that threatens to destroy the ever-rebuilding Republic. A few old and new faces join the two Jedi in their crusade to battle evil while struggling to walk the path of the light when the past haunts them.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello! I'm not sure if this story will look familiar to anybody, but I promise I haven't stolen it. I had an account (undeserving316) that I originally posted this story on a few years ago, but after some writer's block and being busy, I stopped updating and eventually forgot my password to the account. Unlike many other stories I've started, this one stayed in the back of my mind as one I'd love to finish, so...here I am! I've changed a few things (okay, a lot of things) from the original for what I consider the better and I hope you will too! I wanted to quickly point out before you read that I own pretty much nothing in this story except for a few of the characters like Maicah, Kyle, and the crazy alien that you'll be reading about soon enough. Oh, and while I enjoy the Star Wars movies, games, etc., I don't know all there is to know about it, so if I make any mistakes on anything, please forgive me and let me know! That's about all, so I hope you enjoy the story and that you'll review afterwards. Pretty please? Either way, thanks for coming to read. Loads of love and God bless!

* * *

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

**Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic III :**

**Those Lost and Redeemed**

After the defeat of Darth Sion, Darth Nihilus, and Darth Traya, the Exile

fled Malachor V aboard the Ebon Hawk before the planet was destroyed due

to the mass shadow generator set by Bao-Dur's remote.

With the Sith Triumvirate no longer and the planet causing no pain or disturbances in the force,

the Republic and remaining Jedi both could breath a sigh of relief once more.

The Exile, Maicah, knew that despite her recent victory, there was yet another

problem at hand. Taking only the time she needed to heal and briefly discuss her plan, she

left former party members, Bao-Dur, Mical, Mira, and Visas Marr with the request to find

lost Jedi, begin to train force-sensitives into new Jedi, and rebuild the Jedi Order.

With that, Maicah left for the Unknown Regions to begin a search for the long missing

Jedi, Revan. In pursuit of a race of "True Sith", he was found in a few months time

though he had not accomplished his mission. The two Jedi now return to the

planet Korriban in search of answers a year and a half later, while an unforeseen,

new evil arises to begin it's destruction of unsuspecting planets and galaxies...

* * *

**_Chapter 1_**

A dark, cloaked figure walked along the forested terrain of Ziost, alone. It was hungry, thirsty, and ready to do what it's beautiful, yet horrific race was created for: devour life until it's death. There was a problem, however. Malachor V, the where it had been hiding, resting, and growing had been destroyed. Had the planet remained, it would have awoken at the time it was supposed to and would have been able to be released to wreck havoc as planned, but here it was...awake now with less to feed on and less to strengthen itself with. Nevertheless, the time was drawing close, so close it could taste exactly what it craved for: the force, flesh, meat, and bones. It was the same type of craving and thirst one who depends on alcohol would experience at the sight of wine or at the mere thought of it. It had had a small taste of it when it was in it's weakened state at Malachor V and now it wanted more. No, it needed more.

Suddenly, the figure stopped, it's pointed ears perking slightly under the red hood as a crooked, evil smile spread across it's face.

"The time has come, last of the Relye." Another figure, this one also adorned in a cape, stepped out of the shadow of a tree. It's lightsaber caught the creature's attention as it nodded it's head silently. "My ship is we-...

It cut off the Dark Jedi, "I know where your ship is. Are you the only one on it?"

The Dark Jedi replied with a hesitant no before taking a step in the direction in which he wished this relye to follow.

"I'm hungry, Jedi." The creature's voice was strangely calm as it reached out for the cloaked figure, the man letting out a painful scream as the creature began to see to it that it's hunger be temporarily fulfilled before it began on it's journey.

* * *

A slim woman was seated in the co-pilot's chair of the Ebon Hawk, eyes fixed out the ship's window at the many bright flickers of light that passed by. "Revan?" Her voice was soft and welcoming, though there was a sense of strength in it as well. "When will we be landing?"

Revan, the tall, dark, and handsome figure who had previously been standing found his piloting seat beside the woman, Maicah, and prepared himself for a landing. "Now."

The lack of warning startled Maicah, doing her best to quickly brace herself as the ship suddenly rushed towards the barren and dry planet of Korriban.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, okay. I know that was an unbelieveably short chapter BUT the rest won't be like that. I promise! And just to make up for it, I'll post a few more chapters tonight, too.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

"Welcome to the beautiful planet, Korriban." Revan said sarcastically, standing from his seat with a smirk.

"You know, you should really consider letting me pilot this ship from now on. Oh, unless you enjoy plunging to your death of course." Maicah slowly stood from her seat, legs slightly shaking.

Revan laughed, his brown eyes sparkling and Maicah watched him, though she seemed less amused. Maicah had always admired Revan, even when he was a less than honorable man and did things many people, including Maicah and later Revan himself, despised. Despite all this, however, there were things people could never deny. Revan was brilliant; able to think on his toes and make plans that no one else would ever think of. He was also an amazing leader; those who followed him truly believed in his causes, for the better or worst, and were willing to sacrifice their own lives to save his. He stood very tall, his build muscular enough that it alone could strike fear into anyone who opposed him.

Maicah, on the other hand, may not have struck fear into her enemies with her appearance, but being underestimated was something that payed off in her favor more than once. She stood at about five feet and five inches, making her look like an adorable, dark skinned peanut next to Revan. Her hair, dark and long, hung well past her shoulders when it was down. However, she almost always wore it in an exotic-looking bun, held in place by two sharp, metallic sticks. Also unlike Revan, who wore the traditional Jedi robes, she wore her own take on them due to her belief that the loose and excess fabric weighed her down too much; her own was a more form fitting and flexible top and bottom. The pants were a light brown, as well as the undershirt. A dark brown utility belt that her lightsaber attached to visually seperated the pieces, a small piece of dark cloth hanging from each side of it, as well as a larger piece hanging from the center to about her knees. Her boots and a sleeveless zip-up vest that ended a few inches below her chest were also a dark brown. This material provided just a small amount more protection from weaponry and the like.

"We should be going now." Revan said once he had stopped chuckling to himself, rubbing at the facial hair on his chin and lower lip. "The less time we spend on this planet, the better." He turned and left the cockpit, Maicah following shortly after. As the two exited the ship, they both glanced around at the familiar scenery, though Revan was a little surprised by the chaotic state the planet was left in.

Maicah glanced to him as he eyed the falling statues and half destroyed tomb entrances, making sure they both watched their steps in the process. "I wasn't kidding when I said they nearly destroyed their own planet."

"That cavern right there?" Revan pointed to a cavern on their right as they turned to walk up a winding hill, sand and dust particles surrounding them as they kicked up what hadn't been walked on for a long while. "I found a few Sith students who ran away from the academy because they realized how evil they are. They didn't want to be like that."

"Oh?" Maicah said, glancing to the entrance for a brief moment as memories flooded her of her own experience in the cavern. Memories of having to face her past and even a former, dark Revan. "That's interesting."

Revan frowned at her, knowing she most likely had something of her own to say, though he wasn't sure why he even bothered since she wouldn't speak it. She hardly said more than what was needed, something that puzzled him. If he remembered right, this Exile that he had appointed a general was more charismatic, more passionate. Now, she just seemed to be here or there, wherever they happened to be, consumed in her own thoughts as if she were fighting a constant battle within herself. He knew something had happened to her between then and now, though he wasn't exactly sure what. "Maicah?"

The girl glanced to him with her typical, jaded expression, waiting for his question.

"Nevermind, I'll ask you later." They were approaching the back entrance of the academy and he knew they should both be fully aware of their surroundings, just incase there were booby traps or the like set anywhere in the building.

* * *

Revan muttered to himself while Maicah stared at the screen in front of her, both trying to recover information from nearby terminals in the academy on Korriban.

"Have you found anything yet?" Maicah asked, glancing up from her own screen.

"No, of course not." Revan grumbled in reply and stepped away from his terminal, feelings of frustration arising in him. "I'm going to look around a bit, I remember there being some more terminals here." He knew it was best to remove himself at the moment to keep his feelings at bay, always aware and keeping the Jedi Code in the back of his mind.

Maicah looked back to her screen as Revan walked away and sighed. Their battle against the true Sith had stopped shortly after Maicah joined Revan. There were a few skirmishes occasionally, but those they fought were indeed not the true Sith and neither were willing to give up any information they may have had on the whereabouts of the race. That is what brought them back to Korriban, back to known and charted space. Information is what they needed and the once thriving, but now deserted Sith Academy on Korriban was the perfect place to start.

Revan, on the other hand, was quietly muttering the Jedi Code to himself as he wandered through random halls. "There is no emotion, there is peace." He turned down another hall he came across, keeping an eye out for any working terminals. "There is no ignorance, there is knowledge...there is no passion, there is serenity." As his lips finished forming the word "serenity", his mind wandered to Bastila Shan. How he missed her, her scent, the way it felt to just hold her. It was one of the hardest things he ever did, leaving her behind to come on a journey he didn't even have an exact lead on. It had been years since they last spoke and he wasn't sure where she was now, or if she was even alive. The very thought of her being in pain or worse was too much for him to handle, so he tried not to think of too many negatives. Instead, he wondered if she was waiting for him or if she had found another. At least if she was with another, the pain of losing her would be accompanied by the joy of her being happy.

"Revan?" Maicah's voice echoed through the halls until it reached Revan's ears, making him spin around.

"Over here." He hurried towards where her voice came from, nearly colliding into his friend as he turned the hall.

"Whoa, easy there." She said as she held up her hands, lightly pushing him back with the gentlest of a force push, simply to keep the two from knocking each other over.

He chuckled as his body involuntarily took a few steps back, hoping to hear good news from her.

She frowned and gave a shake of her head, knowing exactly why he had hurried to meet her. "I didn't find anything...I was hoping you did."

Revan let out a sigh, something he had grown so accustomed to doing, and gave his own shake. "No...these other terminals are dead or too damaged to even operate."

Maicah glanced around, not sure what else this place could hold for them other than bad memories and the lost chance of finding some helpful information. "Shall we be leaving, then?"

Revan reluctantly nodded his head and began on his way for the exit towards the ship, knowing Maicah would follow suit. The two walked in silence, both in their own thoughts as they felt their mission coming to an end; a failed end, at that.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3_**

Maicah sat at the table in the ship's small mess hall, drinking some water. Revan walked in and looked at her then poured himself some ale. He slowly sat down across from her at the table in silence.

"So..." Revan said after taking a few sips from his cup, "let's talk about some of your past."

Maicah looked at him, puzzled.

"Don't act like you don't know what I mean. We've fought together a bit and I've poured out my own past to you, yet you haven't even told me what you did while in exile. Actually, you've hardly told me anything you did with your previous companions. I'm lucky that you've even mentioned the whole blowing up a planet before meeting up with me deal." In typical Revan fashion, he tried his best to lighten up his demand with some humor.

"Telling me of your past was your choice. Keeping my own to myself is mine. Respect that." She said coldly, finishing off her water.

"Oh, don't give me that." His sense of humor faded some, a serious look overtaking his expression for a moment. "I don't even know if I can trust you. You're hiding far too much."

"I'm hiding too much?" Maicah asked, offended. "You're the one who acts like you're some normal, happy person. Like you're weren't a leader in the Mandalorian Wars, a war hero who turned to the dark side, who became a Sith Lord and killed millions, both Jedi and not. Only God knows what you did between the time you defeated Malak and decided to look for the 'true Sith', if they even exist," she nearly scoffed and shook her head, "but you left the Republic in pieces. You broke the hearts of those who loved you. You have so much to answer for. Why? What are you trying to hide?" Maicah stopped and immediately watched Revan who had stayed calm throughout her rant, guilt overcoming her for a moment. She had let her emotions get the better of her, something she was slowly beginning to lose control over, and she was expecting to quickly be put in a right state of mind again as she deserved.

"I'm sorry. You're right, I do have so much to answer for. I know I've been forgiven, but I can't completely forgive myself. That is why I'm so happy…or appear to be. It's the only way I can try and cope with everything that's happened. Instead of dwelling on all those things, I just try and make a joke out of everything now." He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "If I didn't, I don't know where I'd be. It's all I know to do right now."

"I apoligize, I was out of line." Maicah looked down to her cup, silent.

Revan nodded his head slightly to show he accepted her apology, knowing she wasn't in need of some lecture about how such things lead to the dark side at the moment. He allowed the silence to overtake them before breaking it once again.

"Pazaak?" Revan whispered to himself.

Maicah looked up, anger rising in her. "Stay out of my head, Revan."

Revan looked at her. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to know something. It wasn't fair for me to look into your mind, but I've revealed about all there is to reveal about myself. It's time for you to tell me something. What was with the pazaak? Do you have a love for the game?"

Maicah sighed this time, knowing he wasn't going to give up on the subject. "The game is all right, but I wouldn't say I have a love for it."

"Then why was it always on your mind before…and now?" Revan asked.

Maicah looked away from Revan, her thoughts wandering elsewhere. "When you need to escape, think of this. Just you and me, playing pazaak." She whispered.

Revan stared at her, puzzled. He had heard her clearly, but had no idea what she was talking about. "Maicah? Are you feeling okay?"

Tears began to stream down Maicah's face. "Atton." She said quietly.

Revan looked relieved. He listened, anxious to hear whatever Maicah was about to say.

"Atton Rand. He was…a Jedi." She stopped and Revan remained silent. "He taught me that trick as a way of keeping intruders out." She glanced up at him for a moment, Revan returning a slightly innocent smile. "He was intelligent, handsome, and strong. He had one of the best senses of humor out of anyone I've ever met...I loved him."

"Loved?" Revan asked curiously. "Where is he now?"

"He is dead. He died in my arms on Malachor V." Maicah responded, her eyes emotionless.

"Oh, Maicah. I'm so sorry." Revan began, but fell silent when Maicah waved her hand.

"All the tears I had left were all ready shed. Let us leave what is in the past in the past…and let us focus on the present and future." She slowly stood. "Where are we heading?"

Revan shook his head. "I have plotted no where as of right now. I'm trying to think of where we can go."

Maicah thought for a moment and began to leave the mess hall, but stopped, startled. "I can't believe I forgot to tell you. Admiral Onasi."

Revan looked at her with a worried expression. "What? What is it?"

"I met with him a bit before I found you. He wanted me to deliver a message to you." She continued as Revan waited. "He just wanted me to tell you he's following your orders."

Revan nodded his head, appearing to be in deep thought for a moment before he stood and exited the room. His steps were leading him towards the cockpit, drawing Maicah to follow him with simple curiousity.

"What are you doing? Where are we going?" She finally asked as she watched him begin to chart a new destination for them.

Revan continued to work as he spoke to her, "We have no information on any true Sith at all. Maybe my memories were wrong all along, maybe there is nothing to fear. Those I fought before and after you joined me were simply the Sith of our age scattered about. They didn't even know what they were doing out there."

Maicah shook her head. "We can't give up, not now. Besides we may have something to look at. I didn't think it was anything important, but I downloaded a small amount of information from one of the terminals onto my datapad." She took out her datapad and handed it to Revan.

Revan sighed and accepted the datapad. "Maybe it's time to return to the Republic and see how things are doing. If Carth's been following his orders, it's in much better shape than it was when I left. That's something I'd love to see."

"And you may only have to wait a bit longer to see it if you work with me here, but I can't do this alone. Please." Maicah begged, hoping to God he wouldn't back out now.

Revan hesitated then stepped away from the map and towards the holographic console, sliding Maicah's datapad into the machine.

* * *

"You thought that wasn't important?" Revan asked, looking at Maicah.

Maicah nodded. "It dates back to before I visited the academy with Kreia. Darth Traya. Whatever her name was. It was probably recorded about the time you were there."

"Darth Traya? How do you know her?" Revan asked then shook his head. "Never mind, we can talk about that later. Do you know how many years 70 relyents comes up to according to our time?"

"70 years?" Maicah asked then shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, it matters." Revan answered sharply. "70 relyents is 7 years. If this being they talk of plans to come back to known space in 7 years…it should be here any time now." A frown found it's way to his lips as he thought more on it. "Whatever this is, we need help to fight it, Maicah."

Maicah crossed her arms, clearly puzzled by what Revan was talking about. She did not enjoy not understanding what was happening in any situation, so she was determined to get all the answers she needed now. "Why are they called relyents? I've never heard of that in my life. And why would we need help from others? We've handled ourselves very well so far and I think we could take this thing, whatever it is, out on our own."

Revan began replotting a destination for Telos. "It's just another term for years from a long, forgotten language. It's very rarely used, in fact no one alive can speak it fluently anymore. Not that I know of, anyway." As he finished plotting the course, he looked towards his friend. "Do not become over confident in yourself or anyone for that matter, Maicah. Just trust me on this; we are going to need as much help as we can get."

Maicah shook her head, biting her own tongue. She strongly disagreed with him on the matter, but she was in no mood to argue. Instead, she gave a bitter reply. "Whatever you say, Revan." She turned and began making her way down the corridor. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

Revan watched her walk away and raised a brow. Whatever was going on with Maicah right now would have to wait; he had to dissect this message before he reached Telos to give somewhat of a reasonable explanation for it. He began replaying the hologram over and over again over the time that passed, watching intently and taking mental notes on whatever he was able to pick up. He sat back after a bit, gently rubbing his temples in a thoughtful manner.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_**

A slim figure hurries down a dirt path, her long, matted,ebony hair framing her dirt trodden, tanned face. She knows the planet will be destroyed so very soon, but is unsure of how she will escape. As her light grey eyes scan the area, Kreia's words play through her mind; she knows this is not her time to die and that she must keep searching for some way off the wretched planet. Her eyes scan the area again, but this time settles on a form she had not seen earlier. As she squints, she recognizes the crumpled body.

"Atton!" She gasps, breaking into a run towards her beloved friend. She kneels and Atton looks up to her with a smile, speaking slowly with choked gasps for air.

"You're...alive. Did...I...save you yet? Your eyes..." He says softly, staring at her horrified expression. "That bad, eh?" He turns his head away from her and continues to speak as she listens intently. "I always was ugly...now the outside matches. I was waiting for this, but...it's not fair...I let you down..."

The woman shakes her head and attempts to lift his battered body from the ground. "Atton, hold on, I can still help you."

He quickly winces in pain, so she softly rests his body in her lap and supports his head.

"No. I was supposed to save you." He says stubbornly.

Tears began to form in her eyes, but she holds them back. "You did, Atton. You fought bravely, and I could never ask of you for a greater sacrifice. Please, just let me help you."

He continues as if he doesn't hear her. "I'm so tired of living anyway...too many deaths…I'm so sorry for it all. For everything I've done in the past." He slightly winces and gasps again. "I never told you...I lied to you..." He chuckles dryly then winces once more. His laugh quickly dies and with a pained, humiliated expression, he continues. "I don't want you to see me like this. I don't want to die in front of you. I can't bear it."

"All that was your past is forgiven, Atton. Do not worry." She shakes her head. "And if you're trying to get rid of me, it's not working."

He turns his head towards her, his brown eyes gazing into hers with another small smile. "I loved you from the moment I first saw you, thought you were a dream...meant every word... tried to play it off as a joke...wasn't funny..."

Her wall of defense was broken as her lips quiver and tears run down her face, leaving behind their trails.

His smile grew wider and he chuckled dryly again, though it was obvious that the laugh was painful. "How ironic…here, at the end of this…this is when it all comes out...I love you, Maicah. I love you."

She leans over and kisses him softly on the lips, whispering an I love you too. His body which was tense soon relaxes and she cradles her lifeless love in her arms. Sobs escape from the Jedi and seem to echo throughout the dreadful planet she lost so much in before and now.

Maicah shot up in her bed, screaming a series of "no's" before she looked around and realized her surroundings weren't that of the long destroyed planet, but of the sleeping quarters of the Ebon Hawk. She wiped away the tears that had been streaming down her face from the very real nightmare, everything that happened in it a horrible reminder of what took place. She sat there still, silently wondering when she would heal from the deep wound that had been made on the day of his death. She could hear Revan quickly making his way down the corridor, most likely due to her screams, so she threw her legs over the bed and tried to think of a reasonable excuse that she would do such a thing.

"Maicah, are you okay?" Revan asked urgently, worry displayed in his eyes as he scanned the room to be sure that no one and nothing was bothering her.

"No, I'm fine..." She hesitated, finally deciding that she might as well be honest. "I just had a nightmare, that's all..."

Revan nodded his head slowly, offering to listen if she wanted to talk about it though he was immediately shot down, as he expected to be. He sighed before a grin appeared on his lips, "Well, are you ready to get off this ship?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." Maicah returned his grin, trying to be as convincing as she could be that she was fine.

"Good, let's go then." The two made their way to the exit ramp, exchanging ideas on what they thought and hoped would be going on with Citadel Station and Telos.

* * *

Admiral Onasi was standing with his arms crossed, a grin on his face as he watched his old conrad, Revan, exit the Ebon Hawk. "You're still flying this old thing around?"

Revan laughed as he and Maicah stood before him, looking back to the ship that each had their own memories of. "What can I say? I got rid of it for a while, but I loved it too much to stay away for long."

Carth nodded his head, waiting to hear news of how the mission his friend went on had gone. He was overjoyed to see that both Jedi were okay, so he assumed something must have gone right. "Mind telling me of any new adventures? You were pretty vague in saying what you were doing before you ran off into the unknown."

Revan's face grew serious for a moment before he rested a hand on his friend's shoulder's, looking around the docking station they were currently at. "How about you tell me how Telos is looking first, how the rest of the Republic's doing, and then we'll talk about me." The two began walking, Revan motioning for Maicah to follow. "I hope you really have been sticking to your orders, so I don't have to fire you."

Carth let out a laugh before Maicah spoke up, "you know, you two go ahead. You should catch up on...old times, or something." She smiled, shuffling her feet slightly as she hoped Revan wouldn't insist that she join them. To her delight, he decided it was a good idea. Had she known he was really concerned that she would get upset or angered with what he would be asking of Carth, she may have considered tagging along, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. The two continued down a corridor, talking and laughing as they made their way to more private quarters to discuss important business; Maicah, on the other hand, made her way towards the entertainment module. It was much less private and a place where much less important business could be taken of, but a good drink or two off the ship was exactly what she needed right now.

* * *

The upbeat, joyous sounds of the cantina pulsed around Maicah as she sat on a bar stool, running her fingers around the top of her glass continuously. Occasionally she would lift the glass to her mouth and take a sip of her drink, but it would be set back down on the countertop right after. Any person could tell just by looking at Maicah that she was in no mood to be social at the moment, so most kept away. But there also were the few foolish, lonely men who attempted to strike up a conversation with her. Whatever line they decided to use was shot down without a seconds hesitation and they all walked away defeated. She smiled to herself, guessing everyone got the message since she hadn't been bothered for some time, but realized a figure was now moving towards her. By the time the twi'lek reached her, she could feel his eyes burning through her. With a glare that could make the most confident of men turn away, she looked to him and waited for him to spit out whatever he had been planning to say to sweep her off her feet.

"Well, hello beautiful woman." He said in the smoothest tone he could muster. It was obvious he was new to speaking Galatic Basic, but at least he was saying what she assumed to be the words he meant. "I was watching your beauty and wanted to know if you dance for new group I make. All human women, you know. Very nice, very fun." He stopped to wait for her response as she looked away and took another sip of her drink.

After she had put her cup back down, she looked at him once more and opened her mouth to speak. "Who said I was a woman?" She asked, making her voice sound much deeper than it really was.

The Twi'lek stared in shock for a quick minute before hurrying away, yelling back random apologies. Maicah smiled, finishing off her drink and tipping the bartender before standing from her stool. She wasn't exactly sure where she was going now since she had only spent an hour or so here, but she needed to leave. All this unwanted interaction with others was beginning to make her cranky and she didn't want to do anything she'd regret later on, so she decided to remove herself from the problem.

She whistled as she exited the cantina, leaving the loud chatter and music behind her to instead wander around the empty hallways of Citadel Station. It had been so long since she last came here, but she still remembered it's layout like the back of her hand. It wasn't very hard to get used to it, it was so small after all. After a bit of walking, she stopped and looked out one of the many large windows. She and Atton had stood here before and talked of the many places they had seen as they both waited for Disciple to finish up in the little men's room. She could feel her throat becoming dry once again as the thoughts began pouring back, so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath then brushed back some hair that had fallen infront of her face. She had to figure out what she could do to recover from this grief soon because she couldn't continue going on this way. The remedy would have to wait, however. The sound of a muffled cry for help reached Maicah's ears, making her turn from the window. She took hurried steps down the corridor and peeked around the corner.

It was strangely dark, but she could clearly see a young man, probably about 15 years of age, struggling to get away from a large man who had him pinned to a wall. All Maicah could hear were hushed whispers, but it didn't take a genius to figure out the boy didn't want to be in the situation he was in. Maicah was now around the corner, leaning against the wall cooly. The two figures hadn't noticed her, so she cleared her throat to get their attention. She frowned, realizing that hadn't worked, so she tried it again...only this time it was louder and obviously forced. Thankfully, the man turned his head towards her, keeping his strong pin on the smaller boy.

"What do you want?" His voice was husky and rough to fit his large build, but she wasn't frightened. Honestly, look who had the better weapon here.

"Let the boy go. Now." She demanded, her arms crossed and waiting. This man was obviously lacking something in the intelligence department, however, because instead of cooperating, he was laughing at her.

"Oh yeah? What if I don't?" He asked stubbornly, appearing to be challenging her in some odd way.

"Trust me, you'll want to cooperate with me on this. So, I'll say it one more time. Let the boy go." Her arms were now unfolded and she was standing upright instead of seeking support from the wall.

"No." The larger said simply, turning back to the boy and slamming his fist hard against his cheek. The boy grunted loudly, the bruise all ready beginning to form. Maicah's eyes narrowed as she mumbled a don't say I didn't warn you. One thing she hated more than innocent people being hurt was innocent young people being harmed.

She outstretched her arm to aim her fingers directly towards the large bully then slowly rotated her hand so the palm was facing her. Not only was her palm facing her, but also the recalcitrant man who also happened to be hovering in mid air. His victim was seated on the ground, panting heavily and staring in shock at what was happening before him. With her free hand, Maicah drew her lightsaber, the silver light's soft humming reaching each of their ears.

"If you ever lay a hand on this boy, or anyone else for that matter, you can be sure I won't be as friendly next time." Besides her harsh tone, Maicah appeared completely calm. She dropped her hand, allowing the man who, in the light, appeared only a few years older than his victim, drop to the ground. As soon as his bottom landed on the ground, he scurried up and ran by her, yelling random curses on the way. Once she was certain he was gone, she looked to the boy who had been in need of help and hurried over then offered her hand to help him up. He took it hesitantly, watching her closely.

"Thank you." He said quickly, dusting himself off.

Maicah gave a nod, stepping back to give him his own space.

"Are you a Jedi?" He asked, eyes wide again.

She nodded again, shrugging. "I figured that would be obvious enough by the robe and lightsaber." She clipped the lightsaber back to her belt, shaking her head. "But I guess it just takes some people awhile now-a-days."

The boy winced slightly at her sarcasm, expecting all Jedi to be the patient, soft spoken, and wise ones he had heard about.

Maicah sighed, realizing her remarks had come out harsher than she had intended. "I'm sorry. My name's Maicah…Jedi, at your service." She did a mock bow, waiting for his own name.

"I'm Dumond." The boy, Dumond, thought for a quick moment before appearing anxious.

Maicah watched the different emotions he displayed for a few seconds before raising a brow, convinced that this boy was a bit different than most. "Well, now that you're fine, I think I'll be goi-..."

Dumond cut her off with a sentence of his own. "No! You must wait here. My brother, I would like him to speak to you." Dumond sprinted past Maicah, leaving her by herself in the dim hall. A look of irritation played across her face as she spun around, calling out after the strange boy. "I'm a Jedi! Do you realize how many things I have to do today?" Well, to be perfectly honest, she didn't really have anything to do at all. Therefore, she chose one of the walls surrounding her and leaned against it, waiting patiently for whatever Dumond wanted to show her about his brother.

Dumond returned shortly after with a man who looked only slightly similar to him. Dumond was a toe-headed, short, and scrawny boy while the man beside him was tall and muscular. Their noses shared the same sharp curve and his hair was the same pale blonde, though it was a bit longer than the boy's. Besides the physical differences, there was also something else that made this stranger stand out to Maicah. Something echoed within him, she could sense it, and she knew it needed to be let out. She stood up straight as the two approached her, looking from Dumond to whom she assumed was his brother.

"Hi, I'm Dumond's older brother, Kyle." The stranger introduced himself with a grin as the two stopped before Maicah.

Maicah nodded and offered her hand. "The name's Maicah." She was shocked when Kyle took her hand and, instead of hand shaking it, kissed it lightly. She pulled it back when he let go, looking to Dumond. "So what was it you wanted me to talk to him about?"

Dumond looked between the two with a slight smile then finally answered Maicah. "Well, isn't it obvious? My brother should join you and your friends as a Jedi!"

Maicah raised both brows, looking between the two like they were both crazy. "Look, I'm sure you'd make a wonderful Jedi, but I can't take you with my friend and I. It's too dangerous for someone who doesn't know how to use the force properly and we're going to be too busy to keep an eye on you. Besides, by most Jedi standards, you're far too old to be trained." Maicah decided to spit out all the excuses she could think of all at once instead of one by one. To each of these, Kyle shook his head in disagreement, clearly not getting the point.

"But he's so smart. He'd learn quickly! And he's only 25, he can't be too old to learn things about the force!" Dumond cried out, defending his brother who didn't know what to say at this point.

"I'm sorry, but I ca-..." Maicah's sentence was cut off by a deep, smooth voice behind her.

"Woman, are you a Jedi?" The voice asked, making her let out a frustrated sigh and glance up to the ceiling.

"Yes, I am." She continued looking up at the ceiling, hoping that if she didn't make eye contact with whoever it was, they would go away. She wouldn't have guessed the man behind her had a death wish for her since most of his kind would strike without bothering asking a question. Strange indeed, but his mistake.

"Then prepare to die." The deep voice said harshly. Maicah spun around, lightsaber in hand as the silver and deep red colors clashed against one another. With her free hand, she sent the other dark robed Jedi who stood to her attacker's right flying back. Kyle and Dumond watched in shock for a moment before Kyle ran at the thrown back Jedi with his sword. Dumond gasped, unsure of what he could do.

Maicah's attacker slashed at her with his saber viciously, but she dodged and blocked each slash with agility and grace. After he realized his slashing wasn't working, he stabbed at her, but she unsurprisingly dodged it and sent a kick to his gut. He stumbled back a few steps, now defending himself against her lightsaber attacks. After a few more minutes of this, a silver light protruded from the back of the dark Jedi's chest and he dropped to the ground with a few choked gasps for air. Maicah immediately hopped over her foe and ran for the other dark Jedi who was ungracefully swinging his lightsaber around, attempting to kill Kyle. Either this Jedi was horrible with his weapon or Kyle was amazingly well at dodging swords and the like because the Jedi had not made contact with Kyle except for a singed pant leg.

Kyle jumped out of the way as the Dark Jedi turned to Maicah, recklessly swinging his saber towards her now. All she had to do was duck to the ground and kick the Jedi's feet out from under him and he was done. She made sure his death was quick as she stood to her feet then dusted herself off.

"Brother!" Dumond's familiar voice cried out, making both Kyle and Maicah spin around. The first Jedi Maicah thought she had killed was standing behind Kyle's little brother, his left hand on the boy's shoulder and his saber, red light beaming, in his right. Everything began to move in slow motion as Kyle began to run for the evil Jedi, screaming for him to leave him alone. Maicah lifted her hand, attempting to bring the Jedi's saber to her by use of the Force, but he was too quick. He sent her flying back very far, as she had done to his now dead partner, and her back crashed hard against a wall. A sick smile made it's way to his face as he lifted his saber, sending it through Dumond's chest and his own body as well. The Jedi dropped to the floor, truly dead this time. Dumond struggled to stand, but also fell as blood met the floor from his wound, landing in his brother's arms as Kyle threw himself to the ground to break his brother's fall.

"Dumond, hold on. We'll get help, okay?" Kyle whispered, cradling his brother in his arms.

"Don't hate him, that's what he'd want you to do. And don't avenge me. Just...just be a Jedi. Protect...others from...this." Dumond managed to get out the words before his breathing slowed to a stop and his body became limp.

Kyle stared in horror, shaking his head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening, not to his young brother. "Dumond. Dumond, wake up." Kyle whispered again, tears beginning to fall from his eyes as his brother didn't respond. He hugged the lifeless body of his brother as he broke down and sobbed.

* * *

"Kyle, I am so sorry. I should have been more prepared. I should have prevented him from hurting your brother." Maicah spoke quietly, seated across from Kyle at a small table in the cantina. Kyle shook his head, his eyes filled with pain from the event that had taken place only a day ago.

"It's not your fault, Maicah. Do not blame yourself." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Please, let me join you. I need to become a Jedi now. It's not something I just want anymore, it's something I absolutely need." Kyle was not a beggar, he never was and he would never be. But he knew he needed to ask Maicah for this favor.

"What of your family?" Maicah was originally going to say no, but had stopped to think about it. If it really meant that much to him, what could it hurt? She could train him in her spare time and keep him on the ship when they were to do dangerous missions.

"Dumond was the only family I had here." Kyle responded quietly, looking down to the table. Maicah decided to leave it at that for now, not wishing to go into anything too emotional for him at the moment.

"We leave today once Revan is ready. Last night, I told him what had happened and he decided it would be wise for us to not stay as long as we had planned. I'll help you move whatever you have onto the ship." She saw tears begin to form in Kyle's eyes and became uncomfortable. She wasn't sure if they were tears of joy or grief, but she assumed they were for both. In fact, she assumed right.

Kyle stood and looked down at himself. "This is all I have to bring."

Maicah also stood from her seat and headed for the exit. "Very well. Let us get Revan then."

Kyle followed Maicah closely as she left the cantina and walked through the corridors. He knew not what to expect in this journey he would be going on, but he could tell that it would be big...well, it had to be big if it involved these two. And no matter what, he was going to becoming a Jedi, even if it was the last thing he'd do. Not just for himself, but for his beloved brother.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay! I really appreciate the reviews Jen DeClan left for the four chapters I've posted so far, so I'm going back to add some things to previous chapters and I'm trying to make sure this next one I'm posting is really good. That being said, it may be a few more days (minimum) until I get it posted, but I wanted to make sure no one thought that I was giving up on this. I'll try and get this out a.s.a.p, but until then, reviews are much appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Okay, I've finally got this posted and made a few minor changes to Chapter 2. Again, I really appreciate the helpful reviews that you left, Jen DeClan, and I hope you'll like this chapter! There's a twist and some look into just how naive Maicah's new apprentice, Kyle, can be, so...enjoy!

P.S., apparently the line I've used for paragraph divisions isn't working, so I'm using the symbol # to replace that for now!

_**Chapter 5**_

Revan and Kyle stood on their ship while Maicah sat, all surrounding the holocron projector located in the east of their little "home." Both Revan and Kyle watched the holocron from the Sith Academy with much interest, but Maicah looked around in pure boredom.

She yawned, leaning back in her chair and propping her legs up on the projector carelessly, placing one foot over the other by linking her ankles. "We've watched this how many times now? Twenty? I think we've got all the information we can from this." Maicah said impatiently, placing her hands behind her head as she stared at Revan and Kyle.

Revan eyed her, noting how the woman he traveled with now was a far cry from the General he had known during the Mandalorian Wars. No longer was she the patient, tactical, kind, yet strong woman who never had to demand respect from anyone. It was as if she were losing herself day after day. Finally, he frowned at her, reluctant to agree. "You're right...let's talk about what we all heard from it and we'll put the information together."

Kyle smiled, looking excited. "Yes, that's a great idea!" Maicah, on the other hand, raised a brow, looking to the ceiling.

"Let's start with the obvious," Revan began, "this being is going to be, if it's not all ready, in charted space anytime now. It was supposed to be a very effective weapon used against the Jedi, but the Sith couldn't get to it in time to use on my journey or yours." He motioned to Maicah then continued. "The Sith never specified exactly what it could do; only something about six items and gained power." Revan looked at the other two, waiting for some input.

Kyle looked deep in thought, but Maicah looked skeptical. "Well, since they couldn't get to this thing in time, maybe they gave up and it won't show up anywhere. Ever." Maicah nodded to agree with her own statement and Revan frowned again.

"Do you guys feel something weird?" Kyle asked, breaking the tense silence Maicah had created with her pessimistic thoughts and manner on the whole matter. Revan looked to Kyle then narrowed his eyes and nodded while Maicah finally glanced down from the ceiling to her partners. She was surprised she had not felt it before, but there was something wrong; something was on the ship that didn't belong.

She stood from her seat, her sloppy stance no longer. "Revan, search for any ships that may be on the radar nearby. Kyle…look busy." She left the room, cautiously making her way down the corridors with her eyes open and her ears alert to any noise or sight that would signal her to something. After a few minutes of walking and checking rooms, she finally came to the sleeping quarters. "Hello?" She called out with a slight grin, not expecting to receive a greeting back. Suddenly, a strong feeling hit her like a wave. It wasn't something she could explain, but she could absolutely sense someone was in the room. She became tense, looking around, but saw no one. "Show yourself, now." She demanded, spinning around to see if someone was in the exit. But still, she saw not one person.

"If you don't show yourself, I will…-" Her sentence was cut off by a male's voice, one she recognized all too well and one she had dreamt about for so long.

"Fine, fine. No need to get all upset. I have to say I'm impressed, and a little disappointed, you've actually remembered our little pazaak mind protecting trick."

She spun around again, not believing her eyes. There, upon her bed, sat Atton with a grin on his face. "I would've loved to have heard your thoughts just now. You're just too cute when you're frightened."

Maicah shook her head, stepping back. "I've officially lost it." She mumbled to herself, stumbling back some more until she could clutch the door frame to the quarters for support.

Atton stood, a strange smile on his face. "No, you haven't lost it. I've spent quite some time looking for you, but I've found you! Aren't you happy?" His voice, something was different about it.

"You're not Atton." She whispered in confusion. "Atton is dead." Her voice cracked as she spoke the last word, tears filling her eyes.

Atton smirked, walking towards her. She wanted to move, to run away from this illusion, this ghost, whatever it was. No matter how hard she tried, she found she just couldn't. Eventually, he was standing directly in front of her. He wasn't fake, he was completely real, but something was different. His eyes, the way he acted, even the way he moved and carried himself. She closed her eyes, keeping them shut. Something about this wasn't right. She had to be dreaming, this couldn't be real. After a few more moments had passed, she opened them again and he was gone. She looked around in confusion, regaining her composure. She could still feel something, but any physical trace of it was gone. After yet another few more moments, she took about six steps into the room and frowned. What was the matter with her? Finally, she realized nothing was wrong with her. She was just being foolish; he wasn't gone, only hidden. Hidden with something as simple as a cloaking device. She quickly spun around, lightsaber already drawn and held up to block another from striking her. It's color, a deep, true, burning red was shone reflecting brightly off the face of the man she loved.

"Atton! Why are you doing this?" She asked, strain obvious in her voice. Her eyes watched his face, puzzled as their lightsabers clashed against one another. He didn't answer in words, only with a look of hatred in his eyes. Continuously, he made quick attacks on her, but she continued to only defend herself, never making a counter attack on him. Eventually, it proved to be too much for her. He was so strong now, so fierce, she just couldn't defend herself any longer. After what seemed like hours, but was truly only a few minutes, she felt a sharp, excruciating pain in her side. She gasped as he pulled the sword from her side and fell to her knees, clutching her wound and staring up at him. She was puzzled, not only about why he had attacked her, but why he had switched from using a lightsaber to a short sword instead. Suddenly, everything around her began to go fuzzy, and soon after…everything was black.

It had been some time since Revan had heard from Maicah and a part of him was beginning to get worried. He hadn't heard any yelling, any gun fire, or any sort of weapons clashing...but still, it was odd for the girl not to be back by now to reassure them that they were just paranoid and they had nothing to worry about.

#

"How big is this ship?" Kyle asked curiously, his mind on a similar pattern with Revan's.

"It's not small by any means, but it's not a flying city either. Let's go find Maicah and see that everything's alright." Revan motioned for the new boy to follow him as he made his way out of the cockpit and down the hall. He made sure to move cautiously, his eyes ready to take notice of any slight movement or anything out of the ordinary. He and Kyle had made their way through most of the ship before he decided to check the sleeping quarters, still finding it odd that there seemed to be no trace of anything going on and even stranger that he hadn't bumped into his companion at all yet.

Finally, he came across an unsettling sight. "Maicah?" He called out as he saw a small pool of blood on the ground, but no body. "Maicah?" He called out again, louder this time with a sense of urgency that surprised Kyle.

Kyle had always thought that Jedis were trained to control their emotions, although after meeting Maicah and observing the way she acted, he wasn't so sure what to think about all the things he had heard about them anymore. "Maybe she got some guy hiding out on the ship?" He asked, trying to keep himself from panicking. After all, the thought of someone being able to take down a strong Jedi like Maicah was a pretty scary thought, especially if they were still lurking on the ship.

"No, she would've come and told us right away." Revan turned and nearly ran out of the room, leaving Kyle to follow him without saying a word. He searched the ship twice, every single nook and cranny, before searching it for a third time until he arrived back at the cockpit, many thoughts running through his mind though none of them were going to help the situation.

"What are we going to do?" Kyle asked Revan, staring at him with a complete look of confusion and worry. "She's gone. Would she just leave without saying anything?"

Revan was silent for a moment as he stared at the navigational map, shaking his head slowly. "Go take a seat."

Kyle looked to the co-pilots chair before following his order, assuming he was speaking of this for a seat. He wasn't sure what was happening until he saw Revan sit himself down in the pilot's chair and strap himself in, which he made sure to do the same. In typical Revan fashion, the two were soon plummeting downward in a speed that was too fast for anyone that didn't know what they were doing. There was no other option, however; they were now in a race for time. Not only was an unknown, powerful force about to visit and quite possibly destroy everything it came across, but Maicah was now missing and the only hope he had to find her was to search the closet planet, Bescane.

#

The Ebon Hawk descended upon the Capitol of Bescane, Lumchugger's Hub. Revan set a password for the ship, knowing that this was a planet that was well populated and there would be no one to guard the ship against any troublemakers.

"Where are we?" Kyle spoke up, finally catching his breath as his heart began beating at a regular rate again. He unstrapped himself from his chair and stood after Revan did the same, following him towards the exit ramp of the ship.

"We're on Bescane. A planet well on it's way to killing it's natural environment thanks to way too many people and way too many factories." Revan glanced at the surroundings once they were off the ship, finding this landing pad to be not very different than most others he'd seen. There were crates, crates, and more crates piled up in random areas, as well as a few workers taking inventory of whatever was stored in them.

"Welcome! Welcome!" An overenthusiastic woman, short and a little on the bulky side, hurried up to greet the two men. "Welcome to Bescane! What business brings you?"

"We are here...to..." Kyle looked to Revan since he wasn't exactly sure what to say.

Revan spoke up, "We're looking for a friend. Have you had any other ships land here recently?"

The woman nodded her head with a smile, looking over the datapad she had in hand. "There's been one other cargo ship that landed within the past twenty-four hours and I believe most of the crew went to our cantina to unwind."

"Oh, that sounds like something she'd do, right?" Kyle perked up some, Revan chuckling at his observation.

"Maybe, but I still don't think she'd just disappear off the ship, land here on some other cargo ship, and not try to get in touch with us." Revan paused. "Or would she?"

"To get to the cantina, make sure you take a left past the entrance to the city, go straight until you can't anymore, take a right and keep straight. You won't be able to miss it, it's so big!" Someone called for the woman, making her yell that she'd be with them in a moment. "Excuse me, but I've got business to attend to. If you have any questions, there are government workers standing on almost every street to assist you. Good-bye!" And with that, the excitable woman was gone.

Revan waved to her then began on his way towards the city entrance, Kyle following along.

"Now, was that take a left or a right?" Kyle asked as they passed through the doors, scurrying to turn left as Revan did. "Oh, you were right! It is left, isn't it?"

Revan glanced back at him, hoping his skills and abilities to train as a Jedi would be better than his directional skills.

#

After an hour or so of walking, Revan and Kyle discovered Lumchugger's Hub's cantina. It was obvious that Kyle was tired, so Revan told him to take a seat and order some water while he searched for any signs of their lost companion. This cantina, like almost every other, was filled with the sound of music, laughter, and chatter, as well as the occasional uproar from one who had drank a little too much. Untypical, however, was the fact that there were only humans here with the exception for the hologram of a few Bith playing some "live" music.

He was unsure of where to start or what ship to even ask for, information the woman was apparently a little stingy with. "Excuse me?" Revan tapped the shoulder of a man who was standing as a spectator of a Pazaak game.

The man, appearing to be a bit older than Revan, glared back at him. "What do you want, kid?"

Revan hadn't been treated like this in some time, so he was taken back for a moment. He cleared his throat, remembering the original reason he had bothered the man in the first place. "Have you seen a woman by the name of Maicah? She's got dark hair, grey eyes, kinda slim, about this tall..." He held his hand up to about his chest level.

The older man blinked at him and shook his head, "Go waste someone else's time looking for your girlfriend."

Revan opened his mouth to protest before letting out a sigh, moving onto another person nearby.

#

Kyle, not too far from Revan, sipped at his water as strength returned to him while he rested at a table.

"Well, hello there." A woman, young and curvy in all the right places, took a seat across from him, smiling a smile that had no good intentions to it what-so-ever.

"Uh...hey. How are you?" Kyle, unsure of who this was or what she wanted from him, sat up a little straighter as she leaned forward. He tried his best to keep his eyes on hers, but her top was cut low enough to distract even the most polite of men.

"Is that your friend over there?" She pointed a long finger in the direction of Revan, Kyle finally following her gaze to him.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, it is." He caught a whiff of the perfume she was wearing, the sweet, floral smell overtaking his senses. "What's your name?" He asked in a strange stupor, becoming slightly more relaxed.

She smiled to him, leaning forward to twirl a lock of his blonde hair around her finger. "Tara. What's yours?"

"Kyle." He responded, chewing at his lip as his eyes slipped down for a just a moment before returning up to her.

"Well, Kyle. I overheard him asking about a girl and I think I saw her." She leaned forward some more, her hand dropping to his shoulder to pull him as close as possible. "She's in the V.I.P. room. I can take you there if you want."

Kyle nodded and stood with her, allowing her to take his hand to lead him to a room separated from the cantina by a door. He watched her press a button to open it, though he was puzzled when he saw no one in this lounge. "I thought you said..." He stepped into the room and took a look around before the door closed behind them, making him turn to look at her.

"Okay, I lied to you." She pushed him towards a couch in the corner, forcing him to take a seat before she climbed on top of him.

"Wait! What are you doing?" He asked, alarmed by her sudden aggressiveness.

"I needed to get you in here. I saw you sitting there and you were just too cute." She planted a kiss on his lips, moving his hands to rest on her back.

"Lady, I can't be doing this right now." Kyle finally managed to spit out, still a little frightened.

"Yes, you can. We can do this in a minute, if that's what you want. I'll make this quick." She kissed him again, beginning to loosen the belt around his waist.

"No, I really can not...-" His words trailed off as he got another whiff of her perfume, falling into his stupor yet again.

The door opened just as Tara managed to get Kyle's belt off, the girl jumping off him as Revan cleared his throat.

"What is this?" He didn't have to raise his voice, his stature and tone was enough to startle the two.

"Wait, this isn't what it looks like..." Kyle had finally snapped out of whatever daze he had fallen under, looking to Tara as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Look, just give me my twenty-five credits and I'll be out of here." She held out her hand, her long fingers that had captivated Kyle before, now puzzled him.

Revan, realizing what had happened, dug out fifty credits for her. "I'll give you these, but..." He waved a hand before her, "you'll no longer seduce men for a living. You'll find a different line of work that your parents will be proud of. Now."

The girl accepted the credits, blinking as she responded to him, "I'll no longer seduce men for a living. I'll find a different line of work that my parents will be proud of. Now." She turned and left the room, leaving the two to look at each other.

Kyle watched after her, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, what just happened?"

Revan couldn't help but let out a laugh, helping him to his feet. "Women like her prey on men who look like they have some credits to dish out for...a good time. It's banned almost everywhere, I'm surprised she didn't bring you to a more private area."

Kyle looked around, frowning. "I don't even know exactly why I came in here..."

Revan exited the room, guiding Kyle out of the cantina. "The perfume she was wearing? It has a chemical in it that can cause men to go into this trance. It makes it easier to lure us into questionable situations."

Kyle frowned, crossing his arms. "That's unfair. I didn't even have the credits she apparently expected to get from me."

"As you're trained in the Force, you'll learn how to resist such simple things." Revan looked around the crowded, busy streets of Lumchugger's Hub, unsure of where else to look for the supposed cargo ship's crew.

Kyle's eyes widened and his arms uncrossed, "and that little hand wave thing you did? I'll learn that too?"

Revan looked to him with another laugh and nodded, "yes. You'll learn the Jedi mind trick. You must never use it for personal gain, however. Habits, such as that, can lead to the dark side."

"Right, of course." Kyle finally looked around at the street they were standing on, observing the random dirty looks they were receiving from those who passed by and had to move around them. "...Would using your mind trick be bad to get some more information out of that first woman we met?"

Revan looked to him, scratching at his head. "Well...if it was just for the ship's name, I suppose it wouldn't be horrible..."

"It's not like Maicah's safety and the fate of the galaxy don't depend on it or anything." Kyle added, his words convincing Revan that just this once for the current situation wouldn't be a bad idea. And with that, the two began back in the direction of their ship, though in more of a rush than the first time.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

Maicah woke up in a strange haze, her mind blank as to what had happened or why she was in this unfamiliar room. She attempted to sit up, but was stopped by a sharp pain that shot up her side. She cringed as she clutched at her bandaged wound and sat up slower this time, ready for the pain that would occur from the movement as her feet hit the floor. It was only a few more minutes before the horrible event that had occurred returned to her, a slight panic flooding her before she got control of herself. "Calm down, Maicah." She said silently to herself. "Everything's going to be fine. You need to just get out of this room and figure out where you are..." She reached down to check that her lightsaber was on her person, coming to the shocking conclusion that Atton had taken it, along with her robe. "Figures he'd leave me in my underwear." She muttered, standing to her feet as she let out a pained groan, making her way to the dim room's door. Unsurprisingly, it was locked and she had no idea as to what code to type into the console near it to open it. She rested her head against the door, trying to collect her thoughts as to what exactly she should do until she heard the familiar, yet eerily different voice from before.

"You think I'm stupid enough to leave that unlocked?" Atton stepped out of a dark corner.

Maicah didn't bother turning around, she didn't want to see the monster he had become.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. Look at me when I'm talking to you." His hands moved around her arms, forcing her to turn to look at him. "Ah...that's better."

She glared at him, trying so very hard to stay strong and not give in to what she really wanted to do. She wanted to break down, to throw her arms around him and tell him how sorry she was for leaving him. How she would willingly stay there and die with him on that wretched planet...or live, since that had apparently happened for him by some miracle.

He frowned his lips, shaking his head at her until her lips trembled and her eyes glazed over with tears. Staring into his eyes was something she had longed to do for so long now, something she didn't think would happen ever again. "Is it really you?"

"Who else would it be, babe? Are you happy to see me? Are you glad to see that I survived even if you left me to die?" His eyes were still hardened as he kept his hands on her, letting go after a light squeeze and turning his back to her. He moved towards the bed, taking a seat on the edge of it.

"No, Atton. No." She shook her head, repeating no a few more times with urgency in her voice. "I did not leave you to die. You were already dead...at least, I thought you were. I tried to bring you..." Her voice cracked, "...your body with me as I looked for the Ebon Hawk, but I was too weak. I didn't even reach it myself. I collapsed, but Mira found me."

Atton's eyes appeared to soften for a moment before they hardened again, shaking his head. "I don't believe you. You wanted to be with Mical, so you left me there. Are you two happy together?"

She nearly choked as he spoke, "are you serious? I haven't spoken to Mical in years. I haven't thought of him other than hoping he and the others are training more Jedi. My thoughts have been consumed with you. My dreams have been about you. My nightmares, about you." She pointed to him each time she spoke, hoping this would emphasize how sincere every single one of her words were. Then finally, tears finally broke through and began making their way down her cheeks as she continued, "do you not think I've wanted to take back leaving you there? If I could go back, I would've stayed there with you, God knows I would."

"But you didn't." He replied coldly, crossing his arms. "And that's the simple truth." He stood from the bed and walked right by her, typing some numbers into the console. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere." His previously cold look faded away as he made sure the door locked behind him, taking a deep breath. He'd only have to act this way a little bit longer and that was the only thing that kept him from spilling everything to her too soon.

Maicah regained her composure before looking to the door again. He underestimated her; even in her breakdown, she was still a Jedi and you never want to think the numbers you're typing when a Jedi is well trained in reading another's mind. She clutched at her side as she moved to unlock the door, hesitating to make sure she heard no one anywhere nearby. After all, she wasn't sure exactly where she was, though she was certain it must have been a ship of some sort. The door slid open and she slowly peeked her head into an empty hall, glancing both ways as if she were about to cross a street. She turned right and tip-toed to where she saw a few lockers sitting, a small bit of hope in her that one would hold her lightsaber and maybe even some spare clothes. To her disappointment, both were empty with the exception for a strange looking insect that scurried into a dark area to escape the light. As she closed the locker's door, she froze upon hearing footsteps heading her way from the nearest corridor. She looked around to find there was no where to hide, so she decided to hurry the other way as quietly as she could. Gritting her teeth at the pain heightened by her quick movements, she made it around the corner just in time as an Arkanian woman appeared. Maicah managed to peek around the corner just enough to catch sight of her pure white hair before retreating further down this hall to escape the woman discovering her wandering around. There may have been a small chance that someone on the ship could help her, but she wasn't about to risk being captured by another when she had the chance to escape on her own. She was determined to find the escape pods, cursing quietly as she realized this ship was bigger than she had expected. How had something so large snuck up on the Ebon Hawk? She turned into yet another corridor that opened into a small clearing, though she didn't hear anyone, so she continued past, fixing her eyes ahead to be alert incase anyone else was wandering.

Atton stood in the clearing that Maicah carelessly didn't bother examining before hand, finishing up collecting food for the two to eat. He glanced up as he heard footsteps in the hall ahead, nearly letting out a laugh as he slipped behind a column to stay out of her sight. His eyes slipped over her slim, yet toned figure. Thankfully, she had worn a separate top and bottom set of undergarments that covered enough to keep him from feeling as though he was violating her privacy when he dressed her wound upon first taking her aboard the old ship the Relye had taken as it's own. Still, her little number left enough to his imagination to distract him as he watched her, shaking his head as he swiftly and quietly snuck up on her. He leaned forward as she had hesitated to peek into an open door of an empty room, whispering into her ear as he took her arm to keep her from running, "Y'know, I'm beginning to wonder if you just love running around unfamiliar places in your underwear, considering I first met you in a somewhat similar situation."

A sense of defeat overcame her as she realized he had caught her. "You didn't have to undress me."

"Would you rather me let you bleed to death?" He retorted, pulling her with him back towards the room she had previously been in. "I was going to let you eat, but since you're feeling in such a rebellious mood, we won't have time."

She tried to glare at him as he forced her to walk, but she couldn't display much more than a pathetic pout. Even if he had stabbed her and planned to possibly do worse, she couldn't get her mind around the fact that he was still alive, still walking next to her. Her pout turned to a puzzled expression as they passed her previous prison. "You passed the door."

"I'm surprised you noticed...you've become real sloppy, Maicah. Since when have you not observed your surroundings before rushing into some situation?" He almost sounded concerned for a moment. Almost. "This works out great for me though, doesn't it?"

She didn't answer him, ashamed that he was absolutely right. At some point in this journey, which she was beginning to consider a waste of time, she had become so very careless and sloppy in everything she was doing. What was wrong with her? Why had she changed so much?

After a few more minutes of walking in silence, the two approached a large set of doors which automatically opened for them as they got closer. Inside, there were groups with a wide variety of races, Twi'leks, Wookies, Humans, Akanians, Rodians, and many more, doing different activities. Some women were dancing for men that nearly drooled over them, others were partaking in drinking an overabundance of alcohol and eating some of the richest foods in the galaxy. Still, others were engaged in conversation about how wonderful they were, how beautiful they considered themselves, all the while gazing into mirrors of their own as they spoke.

Atton maneuvered Maicah through everyone, her eyes curiously staring at these people as they indulged themselves in their most favorite of pleasures. There were other groups she hadn't seen upon first entering; there were two humans, one male simply counting money as he grinned upon hearing an argument break out nearby due to a human woman winning a game of Pazaak.

Some of the men who were previously lusting after the erotic dancers, dressed in less than even she, turned their heads to watch after her for a split moment before their attention was refocused on the girls. Finally, they stopped in an area the rest dared not to go. Laying on a large bed, what looked like a very attractive woman, sat up to look at who dared come into the large "bubble" she had marked off as her personal space.

"Last of the Relye," Atton bowed his head slightly, the creature smirking upon sight of him and the girl he still had a hold of. "I've found her."

"So you have." It moved, with the grace of a skilled dancer, placing it's feet on the ground as it held it's pale hand out as if to display something to her. "What do you think of my ship? And of this party?"

Maicah, in typical fashion, wasn't afraid to offer up her true opinion. "I think it's outdated and..." She glanced back again at the large group of people, a slight look of disgust overcoming her expression at everyone's lack of self-control. Looking back to her, "your party isn't anything special. Go to any cantina and you'll see the same thing happening. Maybe less people, but the same none-the-less."

Silence slowly overcame the entire room as everyone's eyes turned to watch their pale leader. She brushed some of her short, brown hair from her face before her laugh echoed throughout, her piercing blue eyes bouncing as it's laughter seemed to dance around each person for a moment. "You have the courage of a ten foot man and the beauty of a thousand of the purest princesses."

Maicah raised a brow at her, finding her compliments to be flattering, yet strange.

"It's a shame that I'm going to have to do this to you..." She shifted in her seat some as she flashed a smile full of jagged, sharp teeth towards Atton. Before he could react, she had moved faster than anything Maicah had seen before and was right before her face within the blink of an eye. The Relye snatched her from Atton's grip, sending him flying back with a kick into a crowd of gamblers who had stopped their game to watch the horrific show.

Maicah wasn't completely sure what was happening, only that the room seemed to be a blur of lights, colors, and faces until all she could see and focus on was this supposed woman in front of her.

"I may have spared you and allowed you to follow me had you not destroyed my planet." It snarled at her, her hands which had looked delicate previously, now dug into her skin with the ferocity of claws. "But now you pay."

Maicah let out a blood curdling scream as she felt something being torn from her, something that lay deep in her. The creature's face changed, it's hair turning grey and it's eyes pure black, until it suddenly stopped.

Atton, who was just reaching them, screamed for her to stop after he realized the fact that it actually had. Fearing the worst, he dove to catch Maicah as she collapsed when the Relye let go of her.

It hissed at him, it's eyes, returning to it's blue color, and mouth contorted to display a puzzled expression. "Something is wrong with her. What did you do?"

Atton glared up at her, ignoring the question. "You said I would be able to do what I wished with her and that you wouldn't hurt her."

It turned, heading back to it's seat with an eery calm. "I changed my mind. Go, feed her, make sure her wound is healed by tomorrow. Have whatever fun you wanted with her and then she's _mine_."

Atton looked down to her, seeing that she was fighting to keep her eyes from closing, but still breathing steadily. Tears had found their way down her cheeks from her grey eyes yet again, her head turning to and fro as she mentally battled against the image of that monster she had just seen. He lifted her with ease, keeping one arm under her knees and the other at the back of her neck as he exited the room swiftly. The party they had previously entered slowly began to take place again as the doors closed behind them, making him break into a run towards his room.

#

Atton shifted her weight in his arms the best he could for a moment to type in the series of numbers needed to enter his room. When the door slid open, he entered carefully, making sure not to bump her head on the entrance before placing her on his bed. He kneeled by it to examine the wound he had inflicted on her with a sword, making sure that the Relye hadn't caused any further harm to it. It was healing slowly, but from what he could tell, nothing more was done to it; her arms, on the other hand, had five deep punctures on each from where it's claws had dug into her. A wave of guilt hit him as his hand traveled to her face, gently wiping away her tears as a small cry came from her. This wasn't what he had intended to happen, this wasn't how the plan was supposed to play out. He leaned over and pressed his lips softly against her forehead in an effort to comfort her until he heard the room's door open.

"Adam?" A voice behind him, the accent thick, spoke up.

Atton's head shot towards the green Twi'lek who had entered and called him the wrong name. "It's Atton. What do you want?"

The Twi'lek shrugged his shoulders. "The Relye ordered me to get your bracelet. It seems it wasn't happy with the previous technician's performance and decided he'd better serve as...dinner.

Atton tried his best to hold back a smile since he no longer had to figure out where to find a key to remove the device from himself. He held out his right arm that the large arm band was wrapped around, "There are some new ones on the ship, then?"

Who he assumed to be the new technician nodded his head, inserting a unique looking key into one of many holes until the bracelet opened and was removed from Atton's arm. "Since it knows you'll be here, we're going to re-use yours until I can make some new ones. You won't be going anywhere with her here, though." His eyes moved to the girl on his bed, Atton quickly moving to block whatever vision of her he was attempting to get.

"Okay. You have it, so...go. I have some things to do." Atton watched as the Twi'lek laughed and nodded his head, knowing exactly what he thought he had in mind. Once the guy left and the door closed behind him, Atton muttered random insults under his breath about him. "Okay, Maicah. Let's get out of here." He reached under his bed and pulled out her boots and a pack; inside laid he and the Exile's clothes, her lightsaber, and some medicine and bandages. He glanced around, his brown eyes settling onto the stealth belt nearby he had been looking for. The rest of her clothes were too tight for him to put on her in the current state she was in and he wasn't sure how much time he'd have, so just her underwear and the belt would have to do for now. He tossed one of the bag's straps over his left shoulder, then lifted his love back into his arms.

Maicah, who had previously been silent, softly began to stir as he carried her through a number of empty corridors on his way to the escape pods. "Att...Atton...?"

"Shhh." He said softly, "we'll be out of here soon. I promise." His eyes stayed focused on his surroundings, making sure to do a better job than she had earlier with this escape attempt.

Upon hearing footsteps approaching the nearest corner, he switched both their stealth belts on and waited. The same Arkanian that Maicah had seen earlier appeared, followed by a small group of red, dark, light, and green skinned beings. She was giving the newest crew a run down on the ship, the do's and don'ts, and what was expected of them if they were going to follow the "greatest leader of all time." Atton took slow, silent steps the opposite way the group was headed, turning the corner to avoid what could have been a very bad situation. It was another few minutes of walking until a feeling arose in Atton, one he wasn't fond of. He had a bad feeling about the room ahead, but there wasn't any other way to get to the escape pods. Having spent the first few days aboard the ship, he mapped out his exact escape route and this really was the only way. He prepared himself as the door opened, his eyes revealing to him exactly who and what he did not want to see; Dark Jedi. It was pointless to use any sort of stealth at this point, so he stepped into the room and allowed both he and Maicah to appear to them.

They both looked to him, one speaking as the other drew it's lightsaber. "Well, look at this." He laughed, "I always knew you were soft...but where did you think you were going? The Relye has some great plans for her."

Atton looked to the door leading to the escape pods, taking a step towards it which made the Dark Jedi take multiple steps towards him.

Maicah's eyes shot open as Atton tried to continue holding her and unhook his blaster from his side, gasping for air as if she hadn't been breathing for some time even though she had been. She lifted her hand as her head turned to look to the two attackers, clenching her teeth. A strange look rested in her eyes, that of fear and anger, as the two Jedi stopped in their tracks, seeming frozen in place until their bodies began seizing. With each and every second of this that passed, Maicah's wounds visibly began to heal.

Atton looked to Maicah, to the Jedi who's faces bore a pure expression of pain, then back to her in slight shock. Finally, the two dropped to the floor as their lives came to an end, Maicah's eyes returning to look to Atton. She could see he was about to say something, probably clever and humorous as the old Atton she knew would have, but her lids closed completely and her body went limp once again before he could even get it out.

All of this must have been draining to her, he had to get them out of here and fast. "Hold on, Maicah. Please, hold on." He hit the button to open the doors, hurrying to the nearest escape pod when he discovered them ahead. The doors behind him closed as he pressed the button to activate the pod, his hope slowly dropping as nothing happened. He looked to his left then right, blinking at the small flyer that sat still, similar to what he had transported he and Maicah here with earlier. He hurried towards it, noting that it didn't look to be in the best shape, but it was better than having to stay here. He managed to slowly climb up the small ramp, setting Maicah in a chair that faced the opposite direction of the pilot's chair. He set down his pack of goods then strapped her in, taking care to not hit the screen or console that powered and controlled the flyer's weapons. Had the conditions not been as stressful, he may have found how dated this thing actually was humorous. He made his way back to the pilot's chair, having to crouch down as he moved, strapping himself in before he messed with some of the controls. Soon after, the small ship powered to life, it's ramp closing the two in before it hovered off the floor. A larger door, big enough only to let them out, slowly opened to a very satisfied Atton. "Pure Pazaak." He said with a grin, the flyer inching out of what had been a prison for him for too long. Fooling with a few more of the controls and typing some words on occasion, he looked up as they seemed to backtrack for a split second, the next being fired into hyperspace and far, far from the Relye and it's ship.

#

Maicah's eyes blinked open as everything seemed to spin around her. "Where am I?" She asked groggily, memories of what had happened echoing in her mind. This was the second time she was waking up in an unfamiliar place, unsure of what was happening, and it was beginning to make her agitated.

Atton immediately set the small ship on autopilot, quickly unstrapping himself from his seat. He knew there wouldn't be much time for him to be away since flying this required quite a bit of attention, but he wanted to make sure she was okay. "You're on our classy, little version of an escape pod."

She looked down to herself, beginning to undo the straps that held her in. "I'm _still_ in my underwear...?"

Atton gave a half grin, taking the pack that was on the floor and handing it to her upon reaching her. "Well, y'know how it goes. Boy steals away girl, boy saves girl, boy leaves girl in her underwear while he carries her all over the place."

She opened the pack, seeing her belongings inside then looked up to him. "...You're not mad at me anymore?"

Atton's face fell and he quickly shook his head. "No, no. I never was mad at you. I had to act that way, so..." He looked to the flyer's control system as it began beeping. "Okay, I promise we'll talk about this later, but know that I never was upset with you."

She turned her head to watch him hurry back to his seat, her attention returning to the pack shortly after as she pulled her wardrobe out. She stood as much as she could in the cramped area and began dressing herself as quickly as she could manage since from what she observed of Atton's actions, something was wrong. She took her boots that rested near where the pack originally lay, sitting down again so she could pull them on.

"Hey, you might want to sit down if you haven't yet. This isn't holding up so well...we're going to have land now or things are going to get ugly." He glanced back to see that she was situated before making the proper adjustments.

Maicah managed to strap herself in to her seat again just in time before the flyer began plummeting towards the planet of Bescane.


End file.
